Welcome to Homemaking Tips Tuesdays where contributing writers share helpful homemaking tips so you can feel more successful caring for your home and family.
{This week, post by: Heather McMaster}
As a very anxious mom, I feel the need to have my home clean and orderly every minute of the day. Unfortunately, there are days that I feel completely defeated and unmotivated to even look at the piles of dirty clothes piled up in the laundry room.
Apparently, these are my maid’s days off!
It seems like when you become a stay at home mom, or even a working mom, you are expected to keep the ENTIRE house clean and tidy with no excuses. In reality, there are so many obstacles and unplanned events that happen in our daily lives. They make it almost impossible to stay on top of every single chore.
I get into this type of “rut” every few weeks or so.
You know, it’s that day when you don’t want to get out of bed because even thinking about getting dressed is stressful. And then, when you do finally manage to roll yourself out of your comfortable nest of blankets that you have worked on building all night, you end up driving your kids to school in your pj’s and sunglasses.
Remember sunglasses are key when you don’t have makeup on!
Or the day where I sit in front of my computer screen trying so hard to think of a topic to write about on my blog, and all I can think about is vegging out on the couch. And I mean full on messy hair up in a bun, bag of pretzels on the couch next to me, and my phone firmly in my hand while Facebook scrolling.
Do you feel this way too? If so don’t worry. Everyone has an “off day” at some point in their life.
So how do you get motivated when you have no desire or drive to get moving?
I am so glad you asked!
Here are 5 tricks to get motivated when you are worn out:
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HAVE A REALISTIC MORNING ROUTINE
Have a Daily Routine or list of chores/tasks you want to get done in that day.
When I say realistic I mean don’t go overboard trying to tackle the entire house in one day. Start by making a simple list of a handful of things that need to be done and slowly tackle them one at a time.
This way you have them all written down and you won’t have to worry about forgetting what needs to be done. It will also make seeing your progress easier because you can cross each chore off the list as it is completed.
Another option is to make a Weekly Routine.
A Weekly routine has a list of different tasks that you want to complete each day of the week.
For example on my weekly routine, Monday is kitchen day. So Monday is the day that I mop the kitchen floor, clean out the refrigerator, etc.
Thursday is the day that I tackle the bedrooms. So this is the day that I change the sheets, clean off our nightstands, etc.
I have used this Weekly Chore/Cleaning schedule for years. You can even find them online and print one off that will work for you. This tip will save you so much time and frustration.
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CRANK UP THE MUSIC
Yes! And not just any song. Turn on an upbeat, happy song that makes you want to dance. Make sure it is LOUD!
You want to be shaking and swaying while you are washing dishes or even sweeping the floor. Trust me. It will also help improve your mood if you are feeling down.
Make a playlist labeled “Happy Songs” or something like that so you already have it ready when you need it.
This is my number one way to get motivated to clean or get some type of work done.
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TURN ON YOUR FAVORITE YOU-TUBER
This may not work for you if you don’t follow any YouTube channels but this saves me on days that I need inspiration for cleaning my house or doing organizing projects.
I love turning on my favorite Mom YouTubers and watching their Day in the Life videos.
It motivates me because when I see them making it through a difficult day, I feel like I can make it through as well. I also feel like I am not the only one in the world that has days where I feel behind.
My Favorite YouTubers are:
I love Jamerrill’s positive attitude on all of her videos. She is also a very dedicated Christian which I can relate with. She is the mother of 7 children with one on the way. I tell myself if she can do it gracefully with almost 8 children, I can make it through the day with 2.
- Kimmy from She’s In Her Apron
Kimmy is absolutely awesome. She is very genuine and quirky in every one of her videos that I have seen. I love that she is not shy about her personality and lets everyone know how she is feeling and what she is going through. I relate a lot to her because she also suffers from anxiety and strives to get better each and every day.
Go check them out. They are an amazing family that does DAILY vlogs (video blogs). They are also very open and kind to everyone around them and both come from big families who also have a presence on YouTube.
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MAKE YOUR BED
This tip is one I have learned from Kimmy (She’s In Her Apron). She says whenever she makes her bed she feels motivated. It is just like when you clean off a table. The whole room feels more open and inviting.
It is so true. When I make my bed I feel like one big part of my room is clean. That makes me want to tidy up the rest of my room.
This is extremely contagious because eventually, I slowly move to the rest of the house just cleaning away.
So Do NOT Forget to Make Your Bed!
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GET OUT OF THE HOUSE
If all of these other tips don’t work for you, get out of the house for a while. A change of scenery is a great way to regroup when you are feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed.
Taking a quick trip to the grocery store sometimes does the trick for me.
At times when I am just sitting there staring at the barbie covered floor and cannot decide where I should start, getting out of the house is the solution.
Then when you are ready to come back and tackle the toy explosion you can start with a clear mind.
Like I said earlier, everyone experiences an uninspiring day. The trick is to know how to find your mom motivation.
Finally, remember it does not have to be perfect.
A wonderful friend of mine recently told me that if you have dirty clothes in the hamper that means you are keeping your kids in clean clothes. And if you have dirty dishes in the sink it means you are feeding your children.
I had never thought about the messes in my house this way, but it has made me look at them in a different light.
How do you get motivated when you’re worn out and would rather kick back on the couch?
Heather is a wife, mother, and Cherry Pepsi addict. Her daily struggles include battling her ever persistent Depression and Anxiety, while also Breastfeeding, Changing diapers, kissing owies, and more. Grovetown, Georgia is her home, where she lives with her loving husband and two children. She recently started blogging to help other moms who struggle with the everyday ups and downs of motherhood. Another new world she has discovered is the amazing world of essential oils and how they have numerous health benefits. Her biggest goal is to earn an income from home while also balancing the many hats of motherhood.
You can follow Heather on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
I’m a stay at home mom of four little boys, and I put so much pressure on myself that I decided therapy would be helpful. This is the first year I have all of the kids in school for at least some part of the day, so my therapist suggested that I have some mental health/me time every afternoon. I’ll put on a tv show or a movie that I enjoy, but then on commercial breaks I’ll do a few dishes or dust one or two things. Not only is it relaxing, I’m also getting work done but not feeling harried about it! Some days I don’t feel like doing anything at all, and that’s ok because my family is fed and clean and that’s all that’s important sometimes. Cranking up some classic rock helps too 😊
That is wonderful that you found some time to recharge!
This is spot-on! I LOL’ed about driving your kids to school in your PJs and sunglasses; so valid. The weekly schedule is an absolute life-saver! I feel so much more organized when I have a plan and, more importantly, don’t have to do it all at once! I had a friend once who told me her grandmother always told her, “Messy bed, messy head”, and it’s so true; I live by that motto. I make the bed and even if it’s the only thing I do that day, I feel much better, though you’re so right–it’s often a catalyst for other cleaning, too. I think we all need the reminder, though, like your friend told you–if all else fails, you have clothes on your children’s backs and food in their bellies, and that’s what matters This was a great read; thanks for sharing 🙂
Great points, Melanie! We do need to always keep motherhood in perspective.
I needed this today. So depressed and lacking motivation to get things done. sadly, because I feel like giving up, I got angry and said things to my husband that I regret. For sure today was the day that I just wanted the kids to play in their rooms and leave me alone with tv and cheezits. My house literally ALWAYS looks like hell came through, even though I spend ALL DAY cleaning. I’m a SAHM and I feel like I’m expected to keep a clean, neat, beautiful house all the time, look nice all the time, and have brilliant, polite, responsible children. And everyday when I fail, I feel like the poop in my child’s cloth diapers in the bathroom waiting to be washed.
Oh Kelsie, we all feel like that some days and in some times when our kids really need so much of us all day long. There will be things that get easier over time. Teaching my kids to clean up their toys is still a struggle here, but I can’t be cleaning up their messes for them when they are at an age to do it on their own, so we struggle with the mess too. Hang in there! I hope this post was encouraging that you are not alone, and with little tweaks you can get on a schedule to help ease some of that feeling of not getting enough done….but, I always feel like I never get it all done, so don’t let that feeling consume you. It’s the nature of caring for little people!